Claims
- 1. An injection molding apparatus for molding at least a first and a second part from a single fluid feed flow during a single injection molding cycle, the apparatus comprising:
an injection molding machine having a barrel, a first platen mounting a first mold and a second platen mounting a second mold; the first and second molds containing first and second cavities for the first and second parts and respectively communicating with first and second nozzles; wherein each of the nozzles receives fluid from the barrel during a single injection cycle; and, wherein at least one of the nozzles has a flow controller interconnected to a computer which controls the flow controller according to an algorithm which utilizes a value based on a signal received from a sensor which senses a selected condition of the fluid material or the apparatus.
- 2. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 wherein both of the nozzles have a flow controller interconnected to the computer which controls the flow controllers according to the algorithm which utilizes values based on signals received from a first sensor which senses a selected condition of the fluid material received by the first nozzle and from a second sensor which senses a selected condition of the fluid material received by the second nozzle.
- 3. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzles are interconnected by first and second housings having first and second fluid flow channels respectively, the first flow channel communicating with the first nozzle, the second flow channel communicating with the second nozzle, the first and second housings being releasably interconnectable at terminal ends under pressure of a spring to mate the first and second flow channels.
- 4. An injection molding apparatus for molding at least a first and a second part from a single fluid feed flow during a single injection molding cycle, the apparatus comprising:
an injection molding machine having a barrel, a stationary platen mounting a first mold and a movable platen mounting a second mold; the first and second molds containing first and second cavities for the first and second parts and respectively communicating with first and second nozzles; the first and second nozzles receiving fluid from the barrel during a single injection cycle and being interconnected by first and second housings having terminal ends releasably interconnectable; and, wherein at least one of the nozzles has a flow controller interconnected to a computer which controls the flow controller according to an algorithm which utilizes a value based on a signal received from a sensor which senses a selected condition of the fluid material or the apparatus.
- 5. In an injection molding machine having first and second flow channels for delivering melt material to first and second mold cavities of first and second molds mounted in stacked relationship in the molding machine, apparatus for separately controlling a rate of delivery of the melt material to each the first and second mold cavities, the apparatus comprising first and second sensors each sensing a condition of the melt material flowing to the first and second mold cavities respectively and a computer having an algorithm utilizing values indicative of signals generated by the first and second sensors, the computer controlling first and second flow controllers associated with the first and second flow channels respectively according to the algorithm.
- 6. In an injection molding machine having first and second nozzles for delivering melt material to first and second mold cavities of first and second molds respectively, apparatus for controlling delivery of the melt material from the nozzles to the mold cavities, each nozzle having an exit aperture communicating with a gate of a cavity of a respective mold and being associated with an actuator interconnected to a melt flow controller, the apparatus comprising:
A sensor for sensing a selected condition of the melt material through at least one of the nozzles; An actuator controller interconnected to each actuator, the actuator controller interconnected to the actuator associated with the at least one nozzle comprising a computer interconnected to the sensor, the computer receiving a signal representative of the selected condition sensed by the sensor, the computer including an algorithm utilizing a value corresponding to a signal received from the sensor as a variable for controlling operation of the actuator for the at least one nozzle; Wherein the first and second molds are mounted in stacked relationship in the machine and the melt material is delivered to the first and second cavities during a single injection cycle.
- 7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the nozzles has a seal surface disposed on a tip end of the nozzle which is engaged and in compressed contact with a complementary surface surrounding the gate of a cavity of a mold, the engaged surfaces forming a seal against leakage of the melt material around the nozzle.
- 8. Apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one nozzle is expandable upon heating to a predetermined operating temperature, the nozzle being mounted relative to the surface surrounding the gate such that the seal surface disposed on the tip end of the nozzle is moved into compressed contact with the complementary surface surrounding the gate upon heating of the nozzle to the predetermined operating temperature.
- 9. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the tip end of the at least one nozzle comprises an outer unitary piece formed of a first material and an inner unitary piece formed of a second material, the first material being substantially less heat conductive than the second material.
- 10. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sensor comprises a pressure transducer interconnected to at least one of the bore of the at least one nozzle or a mold cavity for detecting the pressure of the melt material.
- 11. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the actuator controller further comprises a solenoid having a piston controllably movable between selected positions for selectively delivering a pressurized actuator drive fluid to one or the other of at least two chambers of the actuator.
- 12. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of valves has a bore, a valve pin and a surface for forming a gap with a surface of the bore away from the gate, wherein the size of the gap is increased when the valve pin is retracted away from the gate and decreased when the valve pin is displaced toward the gate.
- 13. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the valves has a bore and a valve pin which has a surface for forming a gap with a surface of the bore away from the gate, wherein the size of the gap is decreased when the valve pin is retracted away from the gate and increased when the valve pin is displaced toward the gate.
- 14. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least one of the valves has a bore and a valve pin, the apparatus further comprising a plug mounted in a recess of the manifold opposite a side of the manifold where the at least one nozzle is coupled, the plug having a bore through which a stem of the valve pin of the nozzle passes, the valve pin having a head, the bore of the plug through which the stem passes having a smaller diameter than the valve pin head at the valve pin head's largest point and the recess of the manifold having a larger diameter than the diameter of the valve pin head at the valve pin head's largest point, so that the valve pin can be removed from the manifold from a side of the manifold in which the recess is formed when the plug is removed from the manifold.
- 15. Apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a second sensor for sensing a second selected condition of the melt material through the other one of the nozzles, the computer being interconnected to the second sensor for receiving a signal representative of the selected condition sensed by the second sensor, the computer including an algorithm utilizing a value corresponding to a signal received from the second sensor as a variable for controlling operation of an actuator for the second nozzle.
- 16. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the seal surface of the at least one nozzle is a radially disposed surface which makes compressed contact with the complementary surface of the mold surrounding the gate.
- 17. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the seal surface of the at least one nozzle is a longitudinally disposed tip end surface which makes compressed contact with the complementary surface of the mold surrounding the gate.
- 18. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a pressure transducer, a load cell, a valve pin position sensor, a temperature sensor, a flow meter and a barrel screw position sensor.
- 19. An injection molding apparatus for molding at least a first and a second part from a single fluid feed flow during a single injection molding cycle, the apparatus comprising:
an injection molding machine having a barrel and a platen; first and second molds mounted in stacked relationship on the platen respectively containing first and second cavities for the first and second parts and respectively associated with first and second fluid delivery housings; wherein each of the fluid delivery housings receives fluid from the barrel during a single injection cycle; and, wherein at least one of the housings has a fluid delivery channel communicating with at least one of the cavities of at least one of the molds, the at least one fluid delivery channel having a flow controller interconnected to a computer which controls the flow controller according to an algorithm which utilizes a value based on a signal received from a sensor which senses a selected condition of the fluid material.
- 20. In an injection molding machine having first and second flow channels for delivering melt material to first and second mold cavities of first and second molds mounted on the machine, wherein a third flow channel communicates between the first and second channels, an apparatus for controlling flow of the melt material between the first and second flow channels, the apparatus comprising:
a first housing and a second housing containing first and second portions of the third flow channel wherein the first and second housings are engageable to mate the first and second portions of the third flow channel; wherein the first and second housings are maintained in engagement by a spring mechanism and are disengageable by compression of the spring mechanism.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising first and second sensors each sensing a condition of the melt material flowing to the first and second mold cavities respectively and a computer having an algorithm utilizing values indicative of signals generated by the first and second sensors, the computer controlling first and second flow controllers associated with the first and second flow channels according to the algorithm.
- 22. A process for controlling the manufacture of two or more injection molded parts during a single injection molding cycle in an injection molding apparatus comprising the steps of:
injecting a first cavity of a first mold with a fluid material from a single source of fluid to form a first molded part from the fluid material during a single injection cycle; injecting a second cavity of a second mold with the fluid material from the single source of fluid to form a second molded part from the fluid material during the single injection cycle; controlling the rate of flow of fluid material injected into at least one of the cavities according to an algorithm which uses a variable determined by a sensed condition of the fluid material injected during the single injection cycle.
- 23. A process for controlling the manufacture of two or more injection molded parts during a single injection molding cycle in an injection molding apparatus comprising the steps of:
mounting a first mold component having a first cavity for forming a first part on a first platen of the injection molding machine; mounting a second mold component having a second cavity for forming a second part on a second platen of the injection molding machine; injecting a fluid material from a single source into the first and second cavities during a single injection cycle; molding the first and second parts from the single source of fluid material and ejecting the molded first and second parts from the mold cavities during the single injection cycle; and, controlling the rate of flow of fluid material injected into at least one of the cavities according to an algorithm which uses a variable determined by a sensed condition of the fluid material injected during the single injection cycle.
- 24. The process of claim 23 wherein the first platen is maintained stationary and the second platen is moved from an injection molding position to a second position such that the first and second parts are ejectable from the mold components during the single injection cycle.
- 25. The process of claim 23 further comprising controlling the rate of flow of fluid injected into the other of the cavities according to an algorithm which uses a variable determined by a sensed condition of the fluid material injected during the single injection cycle.
- 26. The process of claim 23 further comprising routing the single source of fluid material to the first cavity through a first runner housing and, during the single injection cycle, routing the single source of fluid material from the first runner housing to the second cavity through a second runner housing which is releasably matable with the first runner housing to form a fluid communicative flow path between the first and second runner housings.
- 27. The process of claim 26 wherein the first and second runner housings are matable under spring pressure to form a fluid sealed mating area between the first and second runner housings, the fluid communicative flow path being created upon formation of the fluid sealed mating area.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority from all of the following patent applications under 35 U.S.C. Section 120: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/063,762 filed Apr. 21, 1998, U.S. Ser. No. 09/185,365 filed Nov. 3, 1998 (which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,025), U.S. Ser. No. 09/400,533 filed Sep. 21, 1999, PCT US00/25861 filed Sep. 21, 2000, U.S. Ser. No. 09/502,902 filed Jan. 11, 2000, U.S. Ser. No. 09/503,832 filed Feb. 15, 2000, U.S. Ser. No. 09/618,666 filed Jul. 18, 2000, U.S. Ser. No. 09/656,846 filed Sep. 7, 2000, U.S. Ser. No. 09/841,322 filed Apr. 24, 2001 and U.S. Ser. No. 10/006,504 filed Dec. 3, 2001. The disclosures of all of the foregoing applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
[0002] This application also claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119 and 120 to all of the following: U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/277,023 filed Mar. 19, 2001, U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/299,697 filed Jun. 20, 2001 and U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 60/342,119 filed Dec. 26, 2001. The disclosures of all of the foregoing of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
[0003] The disclosures of all of the following issued U.S. patents are also incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,075, U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,922, U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,377, U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,921, U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,107, U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,208, U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,840, U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,122, U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,605, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,237, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,025, U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,786, U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,628, U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,448, U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,450, U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,439, U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,395, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,028, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,467, U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,002, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,906.
Provisional Applications (3)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60277023 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
|
60299697 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
|
60342119 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Divisions (9)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08874962 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09400533 |
Sep 1999 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
PCT/US00/25861 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09502902 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09503832 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09618666 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09656846 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
09841322 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Parent |
10006504 |
Dec 2001 |
US |
Child |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09063762 |
Apr 1998 |
US |
Child |
10101278 |
Mar 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09185365 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Child |
10101278 |
Mar 2002 |
US |